The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) announced recently that open source software developers should be careful of Microsoft Corp’s new plot to license its Windows source code. The organization claims that the availability of the code might make it significantly more difficult to create interoperability with Windows.
On Wednesday, January 25, Microsoft decided to license the Windows Server Operating System to developers and competitors in an attempt to try to counteract claims that its documentation was faulty. However, the Boston arm of the FSFE fears that this could victimize free software developers and make them vulnerable to copyright infringement if they use the code.
Spokespeople for the FSFE claim that Microsoft has worsened the situation with this release of information; because the source code is still under Microsoft copyright, anyone that sees the code and re-implements it in free software packages risks violating copyright law.
Microsoft opposes sharing its communications protocol specifications with open source software vendors, despite urgings of the European Commission attorneys assisting in the anti-trust lawsuits against the company.
Microsoft representative, the general counsel Brad Smith stated the company is comfortable with hybrids that will emerge as a result of the code release, but not comfortable with open source developers publishing the code to the world.
The issue of the code will be decided by the Court of First Instance through another appeal. However, the FSFE is concerned that even if open source software developers have access to the protocols, they will not be able to use them without referring to the code.
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
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